This was inevitable. AdMob founder and CEO Omar Hamoui has responded to Apple blocking AdMob from the iOS ecosystem. Unsurprisingly, Hamoui isn't particularly amused, claiming that not only is it bad for competition, it will also hurt developers and users alike.

While Apple-phobes get all worked up about Apple protecting people's privacy and responding to a competitive assault by Google based on inside information gained while Google had a seat on Apple's board - this happens and nothing is said around here.

Google has released an independent audit of the rogue code, which it has claimed was included in the StreetView software by mistake.

But Privacy International (PI) is convinced the audit proves "criminal intent"

"The independent audit of the Google system shows that the system used for the wi-fi collection intentionally separated out unencrypted content (payload data) of communications and systematically wrote this data to hard drives. This is equivalent to placing a hard tap and a digital recorder onto a phone wire without consent or authorisation," said PI in a statement.

"The idea that this was a work of a lone engineer doesn't add up. This is complex code and it must have been given a budget and been overseen. Google has asserted that all its projects are rigorously checked," said Mr Davies from Privacy International (PI).

This would put Google at odds with the interception laws of the 30 countries that the system was used in, it added.

The revelation that Google had collected such data led the German Information Commissioner to demand it handed over a hard-disk so it could examine exactly what it had collected.

It has not yet received the data and has extended the original deadline for it to be handed over.

I guess Google really believes in openness - for everyone else on the planet except themselves.